The British and Irish Film Festival is coming back to Wellington cinemas from 23 October to 13 November. They’ve put together an awesome programme of new titles, and a few classics as well!
The team kindly gave us three double passes to give away to our members, which were redeemable for any film in the Wellington series. Congratulations to the winners of these passes, who have now been contacted by email.
We wanted to draw your attention to a few picks that we’re looking forward to:
- Bird – We’re big fans of British director Andrea Arnold, having screened three of her films in recent years (this year’s Cow, American Honey in 2022, and Fish Tank in 2016). After a sojourn to the documentary form, in Bird she returns to her primary territory of social realist coming-of-age stories. 12 year old Bailey is navigating life, amongst her difficult parental dynamics. The film includes a riveting performance from Barry Keoghan as Bailey’s heavily-tattooed father, Bug.
- Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger and Merchant Ivory – A great opportunity to look behind the camera and learn more about two of Britain’s greatest filmmaking duos! The festival also includes two Merchant Ivory favourites, The Remains of the Day and Howards End.
- Conclave – Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow star as cardinals engaged in a power struggle to select a new Pope, in this thriller from Edward Berger, the director of the recent remake of All Quiet on the Western Front. Both critics and audiences have been raving about its tense plot and electric performances. Sounds like a blast!